So, considering all my new readers, it's definitely time for one of those incomprehensible and boring to everyone except the people who know me state-of-the-me posts, right?

Well, at least I took pictures... With my new camera! Is it not the cutest? It's tiny enough that I can slip it in my purse or bag, and not have a giant bag to haul around. The other camera is the really good one, with all sorts of fantastic settings, but this one's good for quick "I was there!" photos.

Speaking of "I was there"...

I went to the Atlantian Academy of the Rapier this past weekend, and I taught a class on how women learn to fight, and stuff. If I get the urge, I might post my class notes, but I'd have to do them from memory, since I didn't actually make any notes. It did seem reasonably well received, however, and I hope everyone who attended took away at least one thing that was helpful.

I am under no illusion that people should follow everything I think, just that hopefully they'll find some of my blatherings useful.

Then, I got proof that Provosts actually do get together on occasion, and even talk about stuff (mostly about where to get a drink, but still): (Anyone who wants a copy of this pic, feel free to go into my scrapbook and take.)

One of the best parts of the day for me was getting a large bag of yummy lace and vintage linens and stuff fromccunning, who generously offered it up, and I dove on the offer with both hands, and clutched the bag to my chest with great greed. Mistress Thjora did manage to wrestle some of it from me (she was extemely generous in not asking for more, and she can play in my vintage wardrobe any time), and she got some lovely Scandanavian-looking crochet, and a fabulous knitted/crocheted/knotted work-bag, probably from the early 1920s. I got some gorgeous stuff, and took a couple of pictures of the best stuff.

Stuff! Aaaaaaaaah, stuff! I love stuff.

The first one is a machine lace scarf, probably from the early 20th century, I think designed to be worn with a tea dress, or some such thing. The second is a silk knitted shawl, probably form the same date, and is GORGEOUS.

*pant*pant* God, I love stuff.

And this is one of the larger pieces of (I think possibly) tape and bobbin lace, but I could be wrong. It appears hand made, and it's probably off a dress (it's not a scarf, even though I have draped it as such). There were a number of other pieces of lace, and crochet, and really great folk-art embroidered linen towels of the kind that women used to make and then embroider with designs they got from magazines like Ladies Home Journal or (later) Woman's Day. It's all too great for words, but I wanted to post this and be done before bed time, so I'll save the other stuff for another day.

Thank you so much,ccunning; they'll be loved and cared for, and in some cases, possibly worn. If liveinlovemunky ever decides she wants any of it, she can have it back, and I won't make a fuss.

Seconded! Or, thirded, as the case may be. It doesn't look like it'd be too hard to recreate just from the image you posted, but a close-up of the pattern would be helpful. :3 *is such a sucker for knitted lace*

Do you find women are often unwilling to strike other people? I used to find many, many of the girls I gave beginner's fencing instruction to 20 years ago had a huge mental block about two centimetres away from the target, whenever they had a human being as a target, whereas the boys seemed to have escaped whatever caused this.

That's why I've started to go with thrown weapons. Period for my persona, and I'm never close enough for them to hit me back if I ever find myself in a position where I HAVE to throw an axe, knife, or spear at somebody. (It could happen...):-)

I was the opposite. As the oldest of three girls and after years of having it drummed in my head that the good older sister does not hit and absolutely does not hit back, I washed out. I (like evil_fionn) come from a shire that is heavy in martial arts and I had a horrible time letting go of the notion that I could fight (even though hitting people caused me to either apologize or cry). The woman who is our current Queen (and a knight in her own right) finally gave me "permission" to quit. And I remain grateful to her to this day.

Many years ago, when we both still fought (with rattan), adelavanbrugge was at fighter practice and took a fairly light hit to the body which caused her to freak out and storm off the field. Turns out it was a very accurate pregnancy test. :)

Yes, but the reason is not the one that was traditionally offered to me, that women are naturally non-aggressive. It turns out (and duh, most women know this) that most female fighters are afraid that if they actually express their aggression, they'll seriously hurt someone.

Such is the fear of women's aggression that we've played up societally. I solve the initial issue (I might hurt someone) by pairing my students with someone they cannot hurt, and who has no problem being hit hard. It seems to work very well - once they get used to hitting, they find they can control it. I think in some cases, the women I taught were actually afraid that if they let go, they wouldn't be able to control themselves, and would *really* hurt someone.

Making a safe space for aggression (sounds counter-intuitive, but it's not) is often very effective fro getting over that first speedbump.

There - you just got an abbreviated version of a fourth of my class. :)

Certainly applies to me. When I first started rapier combat I had a big block about actually hitting someone. Made me very upset at first, but I got over it.

I think my trainer simplified things by taking the end of my blade as I held it, asked me to relax my arm, and deliberately thumped it gently against his chest a few times, pulling my arm forward, before asking me to try and tap him myself.

When I eventually authorized I got compliments for demonstrating safe and controlled aggression in the testing bouts.

Sadly, I did find that a lot of the women who were most timid, once they got over their fear of hurting someone, though, were overly aggressive (lots of painful and unnecessary slashing and so on). It seemed to me as though they were stuck in the 'getting past it' mode, and were overcompensating.

I'm very fortunate in being a woman who grew up without that particular mental barrier, but I did wish I knew more about it, so I could come up with better training.

Oddly, I found a few years ago that I had a very similar barrier, but for wrestling. When I took up judo, I found I just kept freezing if someone got too close to me, instead of grappling. Having seen it in the fencers I used to work with really helped me recognise it as a socialised thing that I could get past, but it felt very strange to be on the other side of the 'fence'.

The lace is beautiful. And I was all, "Yay! Fencers! I met some of those people a couple weekends ago!"

Also, I've been studying your website to improve my sewing...I'm going to try an A&S project for the first time. So thank you for your awesome site. :D I see you are wearing the green jacket of lovliness...I was thinking about making one for fencing.

The lace bits were lovely. I'm glad I got to see some of them at Rapier Academy. It makes me want to go to my grandmother's house and dig out her lace things. My great-grandmother did lots of crochet lace things and I think they are all shoved in a box someplace. Sad. Must free the lace. :)